


Baby It's Cold Outside

by luckyrockyjunior



Category: Gorilla Interrupted (2003), RedLetterMedia RPF
Genre: Cuddling, Feelings Realization, Kissing, M/M, Obligatory John Carpenter Movie, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, i'll take it, that last ones a tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28107561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckyrockyjunior/pseuds/luckyrockyjunior
Summary: Even if it was terribly cold here, his place was still too far to walk to and survive, and leaving Dex here alone just wasn’t going to happen. He’d rather they both freeze to death in this scummy basement together than leave him. (Dex's heater breaks and Sid is in love)
Relationships: Sid/Dex
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Baby It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written so yay! my space heater broke in my room today and that's literally the inspiration that's it, but glad to shove two characters from a movie no one has seen into it

So winter was here, and with winter came bitterly cold weather. Dex had been combatting the cold that snuck into his poorly heated basement lab and bedroom for years with a compact little space heater. Most winters, the little guy was a champ, heating up the basement to a cold but comfortable and livable temperature. This winter was not that.

It seemed like everyday there was a new record set for the low temperature, and Dex’s space heater simply wasn’t winning any battles this year. But, no matter, he knew that he could tweak this heater and make it more powerful, I mean, he was able to build a nuclear powered guitar, this should be easy!

It turned out not to be easy, and sitting with singed eyebrows in front of a melten hunk of plastic and shrapnel that had once been his little heater, Dex realized maybe the cold had affected his decision making ability. Yeah, he’d blame it on that.

None of this really mattered though, because no matter if the cold had damaged his brain or he forgot to carry a zero, he was still sitting in his basement with no heater and a steadily dropping temperature. 

Dex pulled out his phone to check if any of the stores near him were open, he didn’t even know if any of these places would have a space heater or anything that could provide him some warmth, but he was starting to panic a bit about freezing to death in his basement, or maybe worse, actually adventuring upstairs. He avoided all interaction with his dad, having a working mini kitchen to make food and his own bathroom and shower, and the thought of really spending time up there made his skin crawl. Maybe freezing to death wouldn’t be so bad.

It was a little past 4 in the afternoon, and all the stores would be closing within a few minutes by the looks of it, so he didn’t have enough time to go out and find anything to buy. But Dex was nothing if not adaptable, so gathering all the blankets and sweatshirts he owned, he decided to bundle up and begin working on a solution

~~~~~~

Sid had been gone for a week playing some shows in a few neighboring towns. Now, he was back home a few hundred dollars richer. Well, he would’ve been a few hundred dollars richer if he hadn’t had to pay for a stupidly expensive bus ride home and replace his guitar, as he had once again smashed his guitar against the stage at the final show on his road trip, which he really needed to stop doing. In reality he was only few bucks richer, which he would take.

Walking down the freezing street from the bus stop, Sid realized there was no way he was going to make it to his own apartment in this weather. Armed only in his leather jacket, a threadbare beanie, and his signature plaid pants and boots, Sid realized he would probably freeze to death on the side of the road way before he made it to the warmth of his apartment.

The thought of being chiselled off the street like roadkill flashed through Sid’s mind, and to him it didn’t seem like the way he wanted to die. There were more punk ways to go out, mostly involving explosions, and freezing to death like a stray cat just seemed embarrassing. 

Sid was thinking about all of this when he realized his feet had somehow brought him to a familiar house that held a familiar person who he had really missed and who also lived closer to the bus stop than he did. Looking at the achingly familiar house, Sid felt like he just found a light at the end of his depressing freezing tunnel, and hoisting his guitar case further on his shoulder he started a half jog to the backdoor leading into the basement.

It was no surprise really that Sid had accidentally walked right to Dex’s house when he had been scared about dying like a street rat, and Sid knew it wasn’t just because Dex’s house was closer. In truth, Sid always went to Dex instinctually when he needed help, and he had missed the little twerp on his mini tour. He found himself thinking about what the little scientist was up to while he was gone, and what sort of projects he was working on that he could excitedly explain to Sid when he got back.

And maybe if Sid thought about how cute Dex always looked when he rambled about his projects and how he would blush when Sid clapped him on the shoulder and told him sincerely that he was too smart for this hick town, well maybe Sid always went to Dex for reasons he hadn’t let himself think about. Maybe he just liked being around him and wanted to be closer to him.

Maybe. 

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Sid knocked on the back door and shivered as a gust of wind drained the last remaining speckles of heat he had left. Hopefully Dex opened this door soon or he would find a frozen dead Sid on his doorstep, and that wouldn’t be fun for either of them.

Luckily that scenario wouldn’t play out because within a minute Dex was cracking open the door and peaking out to see who was crazy enough to be outside in this weather. Upon realizing it was Sid, Dex opened the door a bit more and grabbed Sid by his leather jacket, quickly pulling him inside. 

“Jesus, what’s your rush nerd? Miss me that much?” Sid asked, stumbling a bit after Dex had yanked him inside and almost thrown Sid to the ground. Sometimes he forgot that the little dweeb really did have some ounce of strength in him, and it took the cold weakened Sid off guard. 

“S-Shut up, I didn’t want to leave that door open, it’s cold enough in here as is,” Dex shivered out, standing back to look at Sid.

Sid did notice that what he had hoped would be a warm basement with his favorite person in it was actually pretty cold, really not much better than outside. 

“Hey, what happened? You tryin’ to freeze yourself down here?” Sid asked, finally taking in the state Dex was in. He was bundled in what looked like three sweatshirts and a warm pair of sweatpants, and his nose and ears were bright red from the cold air. He honestly looked really cute, but Sid pushed that thought from his head when Dex started talking again. 

“My heater broke, I’m trying to build a new one right now. But what are you doing here, I thought you were gone until tomorrow?”

“Nah mate, I played me last show last night, the bus dropped me off an hour ago. It’s too cold out there, I wasn’t gonna make it back to my place, so I came here but it's bloody colder in here than it is outside!”

“Well, I’m so sorry to disappoint you asshole, sorry my place isn’t a little tropical paradise.” Dex seemed annoyed as he turned away to walk back towards his workspace shivering, but Sid knew him well enough to know he wasn’t actually mad and was happy to see Sid. Or at least, Sid sincerely hoped that was the case.

Sid followed him towards his workstation because the mighty scientist hadn’t banished him from his lair and he saw that as an open invitation to spend the night. Even if it was terribly cold here, his place was still too far to walk to and survive, and leaving Dex here alone just wasn’t going to happen. He’d rather they both freeze to death in this scummy basement together than leave him. 

Dex’s desk was covered in spare parts and tools and random screws of varying sizes, and a pile of blankets was molded around the desk chair, like a nest that Dex had wrapped himself in while working. Sid successfully held in a chuckle as Dex burrowed back into the nest of blankets, but then felt a small shred of annoyance when he realized Dex was turning his attention to his work and away from him. That just wouldn’t do.

“So, any new breakthroughs while I was gone?” Sid asked after a bit of silence while Dex fumbled with some parts and screws.

“Not really, thought I dis-discovered a new element but I guess I just discovered a new way to produce polonium. Other than that I’ve just been working on some b-blueprints for a sonic boosted drum set, but I kind of got sidetracked today as you can see.” Dex said, still not looking up at Sid. Sid had to admit his shivering and chattered words were kind of adorable, but something else popped into his brain.

“Sonic drums? Nice mate, but who’re you makin’ them for, you can’t drum, can you?”

Dex let out a small chuckle that sounded kind of nervous and peeked a glance up at Sid.

“Well, yeah I can’t play drums. But I thought maybe you could use them, I mean your drummer could when you find a new one,” Dex said, trying to keep his gaze locked on his work in front of him, but Sid saw Dex’s eyes flick over to him. 

Sid was shocked for a second, he’d admit. Dex building him the nuclear powered guitar was done after Sid insisted Dex build him a cool guitar because it would elevate him above all the other shitty punk bands in the state. It hadn’t, but Sid had been so amazed Dex really went through and built him something like that with care, and then Sid had messed up and smashed the damn thing. 

So Dex building something else for his currently one-member band was taking Sid off guard. 

Apparently Sid had been sitting there in shocked silence for a little too long, because now Dex was staring at him worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, a nervous habit Sid had noticed Dex did.

“Is- Is that ok?”

Dex was staring at him nervously, as Sid stood there stupidly, still with his guitar case up on his shoulder and his mouth hanging slightly open. Sid clanked his jaw shut and swallowed hopefully not audibly.

“Yeah, ‘course it is. Uh, sure will be able to rock with something like that!” 

Sid was cringing as he heard those words come out of his mouth, but it was better than standing there like an idiot. He felt a little better when his dumb words got a little chuckle out of Dex who went back to working on the mess in front of him.

“You can set your stuff down, I assume you're staying the night?”

“Yeah, not making it home in this shit storm, you any closer to getting a heater going?” 

Sid walked over closer to Dex’s desk and set his guitar against the wall before turning to get a closer look at what Dex was working on. 

Dex sat up and back with a sigh and a shake of his head.

“Not really. This cold’s making my fingers stiff and I really don’t have the parts I need for this, this shouldn’t be harder than isolating an element but I think this cold is messing with my brain.” 

He was still shivering and his little fingers were bright red. Dex also seemed pretty frustrated, and Sid knew not being able to build something infuriated him. 

“Well, I don’t know about you but if you’re no closer to gettin’ it warmer in here, you’re gonna have to share a blanket with me because I’m freezing my bloody ass off over here.”

Sid smirked when Dex looked up at him angrily, and watched as Dex took in Sid’s condition. Sid wasn’t exactly shivering but he was rubbing his hands in his pockets desperately trying to get some feeling back in his fingers. His beanie was pulled over his red ears that felt like they might fall off any minute, and his nose was bright red and felt like an icicle. 

“Shit, you walked from the bus station right? Fine, here take a blanket and go sit on the couch or something, no use standing there the whole night.”

Dex got up out of his nest, looking a bit reluctant to do so, and grabbed a blanket from the mess of them to hand out to Sid. Their fingers brushed together when Sid reached for it, and the spark it created was bright hot on Sid’s freezing hand. 

“Thanks mate.” Sid wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and walked over towards the couch that was pushed against the wall. He’d actually gotten that couch for Dex as a late birthday gift a few years back. It was $10 at the local thrift store and some old lady probably died on it, but Dex’s eyes had lit up anyway when Sid showed up at his door with it, having to borrow his old drummer’s truck to bring it there. 

Dex went back over supposedly to start working again, so Sid was surprised when instead he just gathered the blankets from his chair and walked over to where he was sitting on the couch. 

Sid watched him approach and settle on the other side, piling the blankets on top of him and pulling his legs up, which Sid couldn’t help but smile at. Sid adjusted so he was leaning more against the arm and corner of the couch and pulled one leg up, reclining a bit to look at Dex.

“So, it’s kinda nice to see you throw in the towel for once, reminds me you're not just some science master god. But seriously, this blanket ain’t gonna sustain me on this couch tonight, what else can we do to heat this shithole up?”

Sid felt a little sympathy for calling Dex’s place a shithole. He didn’t choose to live in a makeshift basement apartment with a raging asshole just upstairs, but Dex didn’t seem to care as he took a second to think. It was weird, Sid thought, Dex was starting to blush a little.

“I mean, you don’t have to sleep on the couch.” Dex finally muttered out, staring somewhere below Sid’s face. 

“What?”

“W-Well, you don’t have to sleep out here. We could, y’know for warmth and practical reasons, we could share a bed?” 

Now it was Sid’s turn to start blushing. Dex was finally looking up at him, having chosen the most embarrassing time for Sid to do so. But, he also looked like he was awaiting a response, and if he didn’t get one he would run out into the cold and away from this situation. Typical Dex.

Sid shoved on a cool face for Dex’s sake and shrugged one shoulder, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing and not like he was secretly melting from the inside. 

“Not a bad idea, poindexter. Your bed’s probably more comfortable than this couch anyway.”

Dex looked surprised at Sid’s reaction, which kind of hurt Sid. Did he really think Sid would be that disgusted at the thought of sharing a bed with him? But, Sid reasoned, he hadn’t really shown himself to be as adoring of Dex as he really is. So maybe this reaction was justified.

‘O-oh ok. Yeah, probably.”

Dex pursed his lips together and tapped his fingers against the couch, still wrapped up in his blanket cocoon. He blinked and smiled up at Sid shyly.

“So. . . wanna watch a movie?” Dex smiled after he asked the question, already knowing what Sid’s answer would be. 

“Yeah ‘course, you pick tonight, I’m not getting up.”

Dex dutifully got up to scrounge among his DVD pile until he found what he was looking for. He placed it in his DVD player that was attached to the TV across from the couch and came to sit back down, grabbing the remote before he did so. The TV turned on and the play screen for Big Trouble in Little China popped up, making Sid break into a big grin. 

Sid got this movie for Dex a long time ago, back when Dex was just the nerdy kid that Sid asked to fix his guitar, back before he’d become friends with the twerp and back before he started to find said twerp cute and sort of adorable. He got it as a thank you gift for fixing a particularly messed up electric guitar that he has now long since smashed on stage. 

The gift took Dex off guard, as Sid had never really talked to him outside of gruffly knocking on his door and muttering that his guitar was broken. The next day, he would come back and Dex would hand over his guitar, and Sid would slap a $10 in his hand. It was definitely too low of a price to pay Dex, but he never said anything, and Sid suspected Dex was scared of him. 

That’s how it had been for about a year, but after Sid had nervously handed Dex the movie, grabbed his guitar, and hurried away, they started to talk a little more. Sid would ask what other things Dex was working on and why he was still stuck in a small town like this. It wasn’t long before Sid was spending time practicing in Dex’s basement, watching movies with him, and crashing on his couch when he was too tired or too drunk to get home. 

Now, here they were, a few years later, sitting on a couch in a freezing basement watching Big Trouble in Little China for maybe the twentieth time together.

They were relatively quiet when the movie started, whispering their own personal favorite lines under their breath and chuckling at moments that felt like inside jokes between them now. About halfway through the movie, Sid snuck a glance over to see Dex shivering despite being under three blankets and three sweatshirts. Sid had actually gotten pretty warm, as he was naturally a sweaty person, and seeing a shivering Dex was doing something to his heart.

“C’mere.”

“What?”

Dex was looking at him confused, and Sid rolled his eyes.

“I said come here, you're shivering over there even under all those bloody layers, and you’ll be warmer beside me.” Sid shifted his position so there was an open spot under his arm, and opened up the edge of his blanket enough for Dex to worm under it. 

Dex seemed to hesitate for a moment before nervously shifting over on the couch and wedging himself under Sid’s blanket and arm. Sid reached over him to grab the blankets he’d abandoned and spread the extras over them, squeezing Dex closer to him with the arm around his shoulder.

“Better?” Sid whispered, turning to whisper this almost into Dex’s ear. Dex peered up at him and the little innocent look on his face would’ve knocked Sid off his feet if he wasn’t already sitting. 

Dex nodded and turned back to the TV to watch the movie where Kurt Russell was currently swimming through a flooded pool with all his newfound friends. After a few moments, Dex settled a little closer against his side, resting his head against Sid’s chest and tucking his legs up onto the couch. Sid gave his shoulder a little squeeze in acknowledgement and stole one glance at the little scientist beside him before turning back to the TV dutifully. 

Sid felt like he was dreaming, he had actually had dreams about cuddling Dex before, dreams he’d pushed outside of his mind as soon as he woke up, deciding now wasn’t the time to dwell on it. But now, looking down at Dex whose head felt so warm pressed against him, and whose legs were one shift away from being in his lap, Sid was able to come to a conclusion. Sid loved Dex, and he loved him more than anything else in his life.

The movie passed too quickly, Dex stayed pressed up against Sid the whole time, probably too hot at this point but unwilling to move from the punk’s warm side. When it was over and the credits were rolling, they sat in a comfortable but strange silence, which was broken by Dex inaudibly whispering.  
“What was that?” Sid asked, peering down at Dex. Dex shifted around a little before whispering a bit louder. 

“I missed you.”

Sid looked down at Dex, who was still staring intently at the rolling credits. Sid squeezed him again before looking back up at the TV.

“Yeah? I missed you too.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Dex finally looked up at Sid after saying that. The look in his eyes was sad, like he expected Sid to leave him any day now and this was his plea to keep Sid here. Sid supposed it was working. 

“I’m not leaving you Dex.” 

Sid swore he saw Dex’s eyes well up a bit but it was quickly blinked away. Then, Dex was leaning up towards Sid and Sid never saw this coming from him, but here was Dex making the first move. Well, Sid supposes he did propose cuddling on the couch first. But with these stupid thoughts and also pure panic racing through his head, Dex’s lips were still getting closer to him and Sid didn’t know what to do except slip into his usual forward self. 

Turning towards Dex and putting his other arm around his back, Sid pulled him closer and then all the sudden they were kissing and holy shit Sid may die in this moment, in this freezing cold basement with his best friend and biggest crush apparently, a scrawny science nerd, in his arms. And Dex was pressing closer to him too and they were still kissing, fuck, and Sid never wanted this to end but eventually Dex pulled away and all Sid could do is stare at him with a lovestruck look on his face.

Dex was grinning a bit, mostly in his eyes, when he looked up at Sid, and he leaned in for one more little kiss before pulling back again, nervously grabbing for Sid’s hand under the blanket and slowly stroking the back of his palm.

“I’m uh, kind of tired. Do you want to go to bed? I mean, I’m gonna have to bring these blankets back there anyway but-”

“Yes of course you dork, let’s take this to the bed.” Sid waggled his eyebrows knowing it would get a laugh out of Dex, who fell into Sid to muffle his laughter against his chest. Sid squeezed his arms around him, planting a little kiss on the top of Dex’s head and delighting in feeling Dex squirm happily in his arms after doing so. 

“Nothing like that tonight, I’m too tired,” Dex said finally after his laughter died down. 

They gathered the blankets up in their arms, Sid threw off his boots and jacket and beanie, throwing them in the general direction of where his guitar was, and trailed after Dex back to the corner where his bed was. Working quickly so they could get out of the still bitter cold of the basement, Sid helped Dex spread the many blankets out over the bed while Dex slipped off layers until he was only in one sweatshirt. Sid took a guess that Dex planned on using him for warmth tonight. He wouldn’t complain about this plan.

They slipped under the blankets together and Sid pulled Dex close, turning on his side and hugging Dex to his chest. Dex wiggled a bit in his arms before wrapping a skinny arm around Sid and burrowing further into the warmth. 

“So, what-what are we? I mean, I don’t know how you feel, I know you're just cold and-”

Sid decided to stop Dex’s nervous ramble before it was too late, the little dork could work himself up quicker than anyone he had ever met before, and Sid didn’t need that tonight.

“Don’t tell me what I’m feeling, I know what I’m feeling. What’d you want us to be?” 

“I don’t know, I’ve never done anything like this before. I-I don’t know what happens next either and. . .”

Dex trailed off on his own there, taking a moment to sigh and wriggle back a bit until he could look at Sid in the eyes. 

“That’s ok. We don't have to be anything right now. We could just be us, mate, as long as being us means you’ll let me do this more.” Sid squeezed his arms around Dex to illustrate his point of what he was planning to do everyday if Dex would let him. Dex laughed quietly, still looking into Sid’s eyes.

“Yeah. . . ok. I like that. Let’s just be us. And do this.” 

Dex squirmed back closer to Sid and tucked his head under Sid’s chin, sighing sleepily. Sid decided that was enough talking about feelings for one night, and adjusted a final time before relaxing further into the comfortable and warm bed. 

“For the record, I’m a little pissed you didn’t let me sleep in this bed before, that bloody couch is a bitch on my back, you’re never getting me out of this bed.” Sid muttered sleepily, finally letting himself feel the events of the day weigh on him, draining the last of his energy. 

Dex chuckled.

“You’re an asshole Sid.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was trying to think of a John Carpenter movie Sid would like, because we all know Mike doesn't enjoy Escape from New York, so I just settled on that one.


End file.
